A Wee Holiday Poem on Verse Daily

Thanks to Stephanie for pointing out that I've got a poem on today's Verse Daily page.

My folks are in town for the holidays, so I've been a bit busy (hence why I was in such a rush to finish the bathroom).

So, I'm off for awhile. Happy Holidays everyone!

Be level

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Originally uploaded by odelapaz.

and level-headed. The sink furthest back in the picture took two tries and several hours. It was a major pain to assemble. The closer sink . . . a breeze.

My head's stuck

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Originally uploaded by odelapaz.

That's the P-trap and waste pipe for the sink, if you're curious. The little pink bits of tape's the teflon tape. It didn't work. Had some minor leakage so I had to redo.

Plumbing ROCKS!

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Originally uploaded by odelapaz.

Master Plumber, O. de la Paz

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The Built-in

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Originally uploaded by odelapaz.

Used to be a wall of sheet rock. Now it's shelving.

Bathroom Reno#2: Dueling Pedestals

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Originally uploaded by odelapaz.

Grout Haze

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Originally uploaded by odelapaz.

Bits of gray grout can be seen along some of the ridges of the slate.

Bathroom Reno #1

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Originally uploaded by odelapaz.

Behold!

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Originally uploaded by odelapaz.

A toilet! Trim! Huzzah!

Installed this puppy tonight around 10:00PM. No problems at all. No leaks. It was a cinch to level.

Yay me.

Tomorrow, pedestal sinks (yes, I have to install two, so sinks plural).

No wonder why I'm so tired.

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Originally uploaded by odelapaz.

Insert Toilet Here

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Originally uploaded by odelapaz.

Storage

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Originally uploaded by odelapaz.

I also installed these shelving units. Before, that corner was just a solid piece of sheet rock. I'll pretty them up by adding some trim to the base and to the middle shelves. It'll look better, I promise.

Once there was a box light

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Originally uploaded by odelapaz.

and now there's none. Ever sheet rock a ceiling? It sucks.

Wacky Slate

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Originally uploaded by odelapaz.

So . . . I've been quite busy these past few days. Not only do we have a new puppy, but we also have house projects that are "a go" because the quarter's winding down. Oh yeah, there's that bit about having a job, too. Writing poetry? What's that?

I liken my feelings at the end of the quarter . . .

. . . to what this dog must be feeling.

For the Kundiman Postcard Participants

Dear Empire:


December 5th.

It is yesterday. It is still yesterday. The machines are at our gate. To see the cogs click against the wheel tracks—I liken it to watching a man being devoured by two tigers.

We’ve mounted the turrets atop our chimney. That is why sulfur rules the flue and there is no heat.

There are also no more revelers in procession, having been unnerved by the continual knock against our buttresses. The candles are running out.

Dear, our hydrangeas have been ruined by snow. The mirrors in the hallway shake with each crash, making my image ghostly.

Forgive my jeremiad. The smoke from the howitzers is a lovely outburst. Of that we can agree.

Notes from the Orchestra

Meredith and I attended the Iron and Wine concert last night. It's the first concert I've been to since moving to the Pacific Northwest. It's a shame, too, because great bands come through here (and from here) all the time. Anyway, Sam Beam and friends were remarkable. Great 8-piece band with many members juggling multiple instruments. At times they'd play a song right into the next without skipping a beat.

Some of their more famous, slower-paced signature songs, they played quickly and vice versa for the faster paced songs. It was really interesting to experience the change as someone who's followed all their (his) albums.

***

New puppy's got me really really tired. Really tired.

***

Wrapping stuff up. Last class this Friday. Hallelujah.

To choose . . .

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Originally uploaded by odelapaz.

Orange puppet or torn piece of fabric. Hmmmmm

Watch it, Missy.

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Originally uploaded by odelapaz.

So, today's Meredith's birthday and last night this puppy followed her home. Her name's Missy. She'd been howling bloody murder for the better part of two hours. This had been a persistent problem ever since our neighbor had rescued her from the Humane Society. Basically, the owner of Missy is/was never home and left her in the charge of his nephew when he was at work . . . and he is/was always at work and the nephew left her outside at all hours. It's quite cold now and she's a 9 month puppy. Not a good thing. When Meredith walked Jake, Missy followed her home. So we called the owner and the owner asked if we could take her. Well . . . it is Meredith's birthday after all. So here we are. A two dog family now.

***

Jake: growl

Missy: Play! Play! Play!

Jake: growl

Missy: Play! Play! Play!

Oliver: groan groan groan

Meredith; giggle giggle giggle

The weather outside is . . .

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Originally uploaded by odelapaz.

. . . quite frightful. This shot's taken from inside the house. It's been snowing all morning. And it's a light dusting. It's heavy heavy stuff.

Right now, we've got about eight inches. Which, to someone who's lived in central New York, doesn't seem like a lot. I must say folks in central New York know how to handle the snow. Out here in the Pacific NW, it's the end of the world.

Readings, Musings, and Snow

I'll be reading at the Elliot Bay Book Company on December 8th at 7:30PM with Nancy Pagh.

Come hear us! Come chat with us! Get some holiday shopping finished!

The bookstore's in Seattle at 101 South Main Street.

***

It's snowing again. Overnight, 'bout 2 inches. More soon. I may not be getting out today.

***

Last week of the quarter, which is good. Gives me time to get back into the writing saddle again.

***

Speaking of which, I'm once again involved in a daily writing group. Because of the holidays, we agreed that it can't be sustained for a full month, so we've truncated the event to eighteen days. Group members for the event are many of the same folks as the August poem-a-day event, minus Sandra B. *sniff* Erika Meitner's agreed to lead us this time. I'm not sure if I'll be posting poems on the blog. I haven't decided yet.

***

I have not done ANY holiday shopping yet. :-O